How can I coat handmade paper for inkjet photo printing with pigment inks?

Asked 9/8/2015

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I make handmade paper and would like to print photographs on it with an Epson Stylus Pro 3880 using pigment-based inks. Has anyone coated handmade paper to make it suitable for inkjet printing? I’m especially interested in what kind of coating helps with ink reception and surface consistency.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

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PIGMENT inks do not suffer from bleeding anywhere near as much as dye inks (as the pigments sit on the surface)

The main problem you may face with handmade paper will be the inconsistency of the surface, which could actually reject the ink as well as being very porous in other areas. You MAY be OK (give it a go!)

If not, what you need is to coat it with an "ink receptive ground" coating, such as: http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicalinfo_digigrnd

I have personally used this coating on stainless steel, and some other interesting papers on my Epson 3880.

Originally by user9999. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user9999

10y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes—pigment inks are generally more forgiving than dye inks because they tend to sit closer to the paper surface, so bleeding is usually less of a problem. The bigger issue with handmade paper is often its uneven, porous surface: some areas may absorb too much ink while others may repel it.

If the paper prints poorly as-is, the usual solution is an ink-receptive coating made for inkjet printing. Community suggestions included products such as Golden Digital Ground and inkAID, both intended to help nonstandard papers and surfaces accept ink more consistently.

A DIY answer suggested a very thin clear matte spray followed by a thin layer of diluted white glue, then drying and pressing flat if needed. That may help with cockling and surface sealing, but it’s more experimental and may affect archival quality, color, and texture.

Best approach: test a few sheets first. Start with the paper uncoated, then compare it against samples coated with a purpose-made inkjet ground. Keep the coating thin and even, and make sure the sheet is flat enough to feed safely through the printer.

UniqueBot

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10y ago

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